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ledge as their guide. But after unresisting- | could not fail to decide aright in every suply assenting to this as a doctrinal truth, at posable case. For no man can doubt how church-how absurd would they think any he ought to act towards another, while the one who should expect them to adopt it into inward corresponding suggestions of contheir practice! Perhaps the whole law of science and feeling concur in letting him God does not exhibit a single precept more know how he would wish, in a change of expressly, more steadily, and more uniform-circumstances, that others should act toly rejected by the class in question. If it wards him. mean any thing, it can hardly be consistent Or suppose we take a more detailed surwith that mode of life emphatically distin- vey, by a third rule, which indeed is not so guished by the appellation of fashionable. much the principle as the effect of pietyNow, would it be much more absurd (for True religion, and undefiled before God any other reason but because it is not the and the Father, is this: to visit the fathercustom) if our legislators were to meet one less and widows in their affliction, and to day in every week, gravely to read over all keep himself unspotted from the world.' the obsolete statutes, and rescinded acts of Now, if Christianity insists that obedience parliament, than it is for the order of persons to the latter injunction be the true evidence of the above description to assemble every of the sincerity of those who fulfil the forSunday, to profess their belief in and sub-mer, is the beneficence of the fashionable mission to a system of principles, which world very strikingly illustrated by this they do not so much as intend shall be bind-spotless purity, this exemption from the ing on their practice? pollutions of the world, which is here deBut to continue our inquiry.-There is clared to be its invariable concomitant? not a more common or more intelligible de- But if I were to venture to take my estifinition of human duty, than that of Fear mate with a view more immediately evanGod, and keep his commandments.' Now, gelical; If I presumed to look for that as to the first of these inseparable precepts, genuine Christianity which consists in recan we, with the utmost stretch of charity, pentance towards God, and faith in our be very forward to conclude that God is Lord Jesus Christ;' to insist that, whatever really very greatly feared' in secret, by natural religion and fashionable religion those who give too manifest indications that may teach, it is the peculiarity of the they live without him in the world?' And Christian religion to humble the sinner and as to the latter precept, which naturally exalt the Saviour; to insist that not only the grows out of the other-without noticing any grossly flagitious, but that all have sinned; of the flagrant breaches of the moral law, let that all are by nature in a state of condemus only confine ourselves to the allowed, nation; that all stand in need of mercy, of general, and notorious violation of the third which there is no hope but on the Gospel and fourth commandments, by the higher as terms; that eternal life is promised to those well as by the lower orders; breaches so only who accept it on the offered conditions flagrant, that they force themselves on the of faith, repentance, and renewed obediobservation of the most inattentive, too pal-ence ;'-if I were to insist on such evidences pably to be either unnoticed or palliated. of our Christianity as these; if I were to Shall we have reason to change our opi- express these doctrines in plain scriptural nion if we take that Divine representation of terms, without lowering, qualifying, disthe sum and substance of religion, and ap-guising, or doing them away; if I were to ply it as a touchstone in the present trial-insist on this belief, and its implied and corThou shalt love the Lord thy God with all responding practices; I am aware that, thy heart, and with all thy mind, and with with whatever condescending patience this all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and little tract might have been so far perused, thy neighbour as thyself?' Now, judge by many a fashionable reader would here throw inference, do we see many public proofs of it aside, as having now detected the palpathat heavenly-mindedness which would be ble enthusiast, the abettor of 'strange docthe inevitable effect of such a fervent and trines,' long ago consigned over by the libeanimated dedication of all the powers, fa- ral and the polite to bigots and fanatics. culties, and affections of the soul to Him And yet, if the Bible be true, this is a simwho gave it? And, as to the great rule of ple and faithful description of Christianity. social duty expressed in the second clause, Surely men forget that we are urging them do we observe as much of that considerate upon their own principles; that while we are kindness, that pure disinterestedness, that urging them with motives drawn from conscientious attention to the comfort of Christianity, they seem to have as little others, especially of dependants and infe- concern in these motives as if they themriors, as might be expected from those who selves were of another religion. It is not a enjoyed the privilege of so unerring a stan-name that will stand us instead. It is not dard of conduct a standard, which, if im- merely glorying in the title of Christians, partially consulted, must make our kind-while we are living in the neglect of its preness to others bear an exact proportion to cepts; it is not in valuing ourselves on the our self-love; a rule in which christian profession of religion as creditable, while principle, operating on human sensibility, we reject the power of it as fanatical, that

But those severer preachers of righteous

will save us! In any other circumstances who have become popular by blunting the of life it would be accounted absurd to have edge of the heavenly tempered weapon, a set of propositions, principles, statutes, or whose salutary keenness, but for their defundamental articles, and not to make them ceitful handling,' would often pierce to the the ground of our acting as well as of our dividing asunder of soul and spirit.' reasoning. In these supposed instances the blame would lie in the contradiction, in re-ness, who disgust by applying too closely to ligion it lies in the agreement. Strange! that to act in consequence of received and acknowledged principles, should be accounted weakness! Strange, that what alone is truly consistent, should be branded as absurd! Strange, that men must really forbear to act rationally, only that they may not be reckoned mad! Strange, that they should be commended for having prayed in the excellent words of the Bible and of our church, for a clean heart, and a right spirit; and yet, if they gave any sign of such a transformation of heart, they should be accounted, if not fanatical, at least, singular, weak, or melancholy men.

the conscience; who probe the inmost heart and lay open all its latent peccancies; who treat of principles as the only certain source of manners; who lay the axe to the root, oftener than the pruning knife to the branch; who insist much and often on the great leading truths, that man is a fallen creature, who must be restored, if he be restored at all, by means very little flattering to human pride--such heart-searching writers as these will seldom find access to the houses and hearts of the more modish Christians, unless they happen to owe their admission to some subordinate quality of style; unless they can captivate, with the seducing graces After having, however, just ventured to of language, those well-bred readers, who hint at what are indeed the humbling are childishly amusing themselves with the doctrines of the gospel, the doctrines to garnish, when they are perishing for want which alone eternal life is promised, I shall of food; who are searching for polished pein deep humility forbear to enlarge on this riods when they should be in quest of alarmpart of the subject, which has been ex- ing truths; who are looking for elegance of hausted by the labours of wise and pious composition when they should be anxious men in all ages. Unhappily, however, the for eterual life.

most awakening of these writers are not the Whatever comparative praise may be due favourite guests in the closets of the more to the former class of writers, when viewed fashionable Christians; who, when they with others of a less decent order, yet I am happen to be more seriously disposed than not sure whether so many books of frigid ordinary, are fond of finding out some mid-morality, exhibiting such inferior motives of dle kind of reading, which recommends action, such moderate representations of dusome half-way state, something between ty, and such a low standard of principle; Paganism and Christianity, suspending the have not done religion much more harm mind, like the position of Mahomet's tomb, than good; whether they do not lead many between earth and heaven: a kind of read-a reader to inquire what is the lowest deing which, while it quiets the conscience by gree in the scale of virtue with which he being on the side of morals, neither awa- may content himself, so as barely to escape kens fear, nor alarms security. By dealing eternal punishment; how much indulgence in generals, it comes home to the hearts of he may allow himself, without absolutely none: it flatters the passions of the reader, forfeiting his chance of safety: what is the by ascribing high merits to the performance uttermost verge to which he may venture of certain right actions, and the forbearance of this world's enjoyment, and yet just keep from certain wrong ones; among which, within a possibility of hope for the next": that reader must be very unlucky indeed adjusting the scales of indulgence and secuwho does not find some performances and rity with such a scrupulous equilibrium, as some forbearances of his own. It at once not to lose much pleasure, yet not incur enables him to keep heaven in his eye, and much penalty. the world in his heart. It agreeably represents the readers to themselves as amiable persons, guilty indeed of a few faults, but never as condemned sinners under sentence of death. It commonly abounds with high encomiums on the dignity of human nature; the good effects of virtue on health, fortune, and reputation: the dangers of a blind zeal, the mischiefs of enthusiasm, and the folly of sigularity, with various other kindred sentiments; which, if they do not fall in of themselves with the corruptions of our nature, may, by a little warping, be easily accommodated to them.

These are the too successful practices of certain luke-warm and temporizing divines,

This is hardly an exaggerated representation; and to these low views of duty is partly owing so much of that bare-weight virtue with which even Christians are apt to content themselves; fighting for every inch of ground which may possibly be taken within the pales of permission, and stretching those pales to the utmost edge of that limitation about which the world and the Bible contend.

But while the nominal Christian is persuading himself that there can be no harm in going a little farther, the real Christian is always afraid of going too far. While the one is debating for a little more disputed ground, the other is so fearful of straying

CHAP VII.

nto the regions of unhallowed indulgence, | acceptance, would not, in any other inthat he keeps at a prudent distance from stance, be thought a reasonable ground of the extremity of his permitted limits; and conduct; and yet it is by no means as unis anxious in restricting as the other is de- common as it is inconsistent. sirous of extending them. One thing is clear, and it may be no bad indication by which to discover the state of man's heart to himself; while he is contending for this allowance, and stipulating for the other indulgence, it will show him that, whatever change there may be in his life, there is none in his heart; the temper remains as it did; and it is by the inward frame rather than the outward act that he can best judge of his own state, whatever may be the rule by which he undertakes to judge of that of another.

View of those who acknowledge Christianity as a perfect system of morals, but deny its divine authority.--Morality not the whole of Religion.

As in the preceding chapter notice was taken of that description of persons who profess to receive Christianity with great It is less wonderful that there are not reverence as a matter of faith, who yet do more Christians, than that Christians, as not pretend to adopt it as a rule of conduct; they are called, are not better men; for if I shall conclude these slight remarks with Christianity be not true, the motives of vir- some short animadversions on another set tue are not high enough to quicken ordinary of men, and that not a small one among the men to very extraordinary exertions. We decent and fashionable, who profess to think see them do and suffer every day for popularity, for custom, for fashion, for the point of honour, not only more than good men do and suffer for religion, but a great deal more than religion requires them to do. For her reasonable service demands no sacrifices but what are sanctioned by good sense, sound policy, right reason, and uncorrupt judgment

Many of these fashionable professors even go so far as to bring their right faith as an apology for their wrong practice. They have a commodious way of intrenching themselves within the shelter of some general position of unquestionable truth: even the great Christian hope becomes a snare to them. They apologize for a life of offence, by taking refuge in the extreme goodness they are abusing. That God is all merciful, is the common reply to those who hint to them their danger. This is a false and fatal application of a divine and comfortable truth. Nothing can be more certain than the proposition, nor more delusive than the inference: for their deduction implies, not that he is merciful to sin repented of, but to sin continued in. But it is a most fallacious hope to expect that God will violate his own covenant, or that he is indeed, all mercy,' to the utter exclusion of his other attributes of perfect holiness, purity and justice.

It is a dangerous folly to rest on these vague and general notions of indefinite mercy; and nothing can be more delusive than this indefinite trust in being forgiven in our own way, after God has clearly revealed to us that he will only forgive us in his way. Besides, is there not something singularly base in sinning against God because he is merciful?

But the truth is, no one does truly trust in God, who does not endeavour to obey him. For to break his laws, and yet to depend on his favour; to live in opposition to his will, and yet in expectation of his mercy; to violate his commands, and yet to look for his

it exhibits an admirable system of morals, while they deny its divine authority; though that authority alone can make the necessity of obeying its precepts binding on the consciences of men.

This is a very discreet scheme; for such persons at once save themselves from the discredit of having their understanding im posed upon by a supposed blind submission to evidences and authorities; and yet, prudently enough, secure to themselves, in no small degree, the reputation of good men. By steering this middle kind of course, they contrive to be reckoned liberal by the philosophers, and decent by the believers.

But we are not to expect to see the pure morality of the Gospel very carefully transfused into the lives of such objectors. And indeed it would be unjust to imagine that the precepts should be most scrupulously observed by those who reject the authority. The influence of divine truth must necessarily best prepare the heart for an unreserved obedience to its laws, If we do not depend on the offers of the Gospel, we shall want the best motives to the actions and performances which it enjoins. A lively belief must therefore precede a hearty obedience. Let those who think otherwise, hear what the Saviour of the world has said: "For this end was I was born, and for this cause came into the world, that I might bear witness unto the truth. Those who reject the Gospel, therefore, reject the power of performing good actions. That command, for instance, to 'set our affections on things above, will operate but faintly, till that Spirit from which the command proceeds, touches the heart, and convinces that no human good is worthy of the entire affection of an immortal creature, An unreserved faith in the promiser must precede our acceptable performance of any duty to which the promise is annexed.

I

But as to a set of duties enforced by no other motive than a bare acquiescence in

their beauty, and a cold conviction of their propriety, but impelled by no obedience to his authority who imposes them; though we know not how well they might be performed by pure and impeccable beings, yet we know how they commonly are performed by frail and disorderly creatures, fallen from their innocence, and corrupt in their very natures.

labours of apostles, the blood of the saints, to say nothing of the great costly sacrifice which the Gospel records, might surely have been spared. Lessons of mere human virtue might have been delivered by some suitable instrument of human wisdom, strengthened by the visible authority of human power. A bare system of morals might have been communicated to mankind with a more reasonable prospect of advantage, by means not so repugnant to human pride. A mere scheme of conduct might have been delivered with far greater probability of the success of its reception by Antoninus the emperor, or Plato the philosopher, than by Paul the tent-maker, or Peter the fisherman.

Christianity, then, must be embraced entirely, if it be received at all. It must be taken without mutilation, as a perfect scheme, in the way in which God has been pleased to reveal it. It must be accepted, not as exhibiting beautiful parts, but as presenting one consummate whole, of which the perfection arises from coherence and dependence, from relation and consistency.

Its

Nothing but a conviction of the truth of Christianity can reconcile thinking beings to the extraordinary appearances of things in the Creator's moral government of the world. The works of God are an enigma, of which his word alone is the solution. The dark veil which is thrown over the divine dispensations in this lower world must naturally shock those who consider only the single scene which is acting on the present stage; but is reconcilable to him who, having learnt from Revelation the nature of the laws by which the great Author acts, trusts confidently that the catastrophe will set all to rights. The confusion which sin and the passions have introduced; the triumph of wickedness; the seemingly arbitrary disproportion of human conditions, ac-power will be weakened, and its energy decountable on no scheme but that which the stroyed, if every caviller pulls out a pin, or Gospel has opened to us-have all a natural obstructs a spring with the presumptuous tendency to withdraw from the love of God, view of new modelling the Divine work, and the hearts of those who erect themselves making it go to his own mind. There must into critics on the Divine conduct, and yet be no breaking the system into portions of will not study the plan, and get acquainted which we are at liberty to choose one and with the rules, so far as it has pleased the reject another. There is no separating the Supreme Disposer to reveal them. evidences from the doctrines, the doctrines from the precepts, belief from obedience, morality from piety, the love of our neighbour from the love of God. If we allow Christianity to be any thing, we must allow it to be every thing: if we allow the Divine Author to be indeed unto us wisdom and righteousness,' he must be also sanctification and redemption.'

Till therefore the word of God is used as a lamp to their paths,' men can neither truly discern the crookedness of their own ways, nor the perfection of that light by which they are directed to walk. And this light can only be seen by its own proper brightness; it has no other medium. Until therefore, the secret of the Lord' is with men, they will not truly fear him;' until he has enlarged their hearts' with the knowledge and belief af his word, they will not very vigorously run the way of his commandments.' Until they have acquired that faith, without which it is impossible to please God,' they will not attain that holiness, without which no man can see him.'

Christianity then is assuredly something more than a mere set of rules; and faith, though it never pretended to be the substitute for an useful life, is indispensably necessary to its acceptance with God. The Gospel never offers to make religion supersede morality, but every where clearly proves that morality is not the whole of religion. And indeed if God has thought fit to Piety is not only necessary as a means, but is make the Gospel an instrument of salvation, itself a most important end. It is not only the we must own the necessity of receiving it as best principle of moral conduct, but is an ina divine institution, before it is likely to ope-dispensable and absolute duty in itself. It is rate very effectually on the human conduct. not only the highest motive to the practice The great Creator, if we may judge by of virtue, but is a prior obligation, and absoanalogy from natural things, is so just and lutely necessary, even when detached from wise an economist, that he always adapts, its immediate influence on outward actions. with the most accurate precision, the in- Religion will survive all the virtues of which strument to the work; and never lavishes it is the source; for we shall be living in the more means than are necessary to accom- noblest exercises of piety when we shall have plish the proposed end. If therefore Chris- no objects on which to exercise many hutianity had been intended for nothing more man virtues. When there will be no disthan a mere system of ethics, such a system tress to be relieved, no injuries to be forsurely might have been produced at an in- given, no evil habits to be subdued, there finitely less expense. The long chain of will be a Creator to be blessed and adored, prophecy, the succession of miracles, the a Redeemer to be loved and praised.

To conclude, a real Christian is not such | Those depths of mistery which surpass his merely by habit, profession, or education; understanding do not shake his faith, and he is not a Christian in order to acquit his this, not because he is credulous, and given sponsors of the engagements they entered to take things upon trust, but because, into in his name; but he is one who has em-knowing that his fouudations are right, he braced Christianity from a conviction of its sees how one truth of Scripture supports antruth, and an experience of its excellence. other like the bearings of a geometrical He is not only confident in matters of building; because he sees the aspect one faith by evidences suggested to his under-doctrine has upon another; because he sees standing, or reasons which correspond to his the consistency of each with the rest, and inquiries; but all these evidences of truth, the place, order, and relation of all. The all these principles of goodness are working real Christian by no means rejects reason into his heart, and exhibit themselves in his from his religion; so far from it, he most practice. He sees so much of the body of carefully exercises it in furnishing his mind the great truths and fundamental points of with all the evidences of its truth. But he religion, that he has a satisfactory trust in does not stop here. Christianity furnishes those lesser branches which ramify to infi- him with a living principle of action, with nity from the parent stock; though he may the vital influences of the holy Spirit, which, not individually and completely comprehend while it enlightens his faculties, rectifies his them all. He is so powerfully convinced of will, turns his knowledge into practice, sancthe general truth, and so deeply impressed tifies his heart, changes his habits, and by the general spirit of the Gospel, that he proves that when faithfully received, the is not startled by every little difficulty; he word of truth is life indeed, and is spirit inis not staggered by every hard saying.'[deed!'

REMARKS ON THE SPEECH OF M. DUPONT,

MADE IN THE NATIONAL CONVENTION OF FRANCE,

ON THE SUBJECTS OF RELIGION AND PUBLIC EDUCATION.

A PREFATORY ADDRESS

TO THE LADIES, &c. OF GREAT BRITAIN,-IN BEHALF OF THE FRENCH EMIGRANT

CLERGY.

If it be allowed that there may arise occasions so extraordinary that all the lesser motives of delicacy ought to vanish before them, it is presumed that the present emergency will be considered as presenting one of those occasions, and will in some measure justify the hardiness of this address from a private individual, who stimulated by the urgency of the case, sacrifices inferior considerations to the ardent desire of raising further supplies towards relieving a distress as pressing as it is unexampled.

We are informed by public advertisement, that the large sums already so liberally scribed for the emigrant clergy are almost exhausted. Authentic information adds, that multitudes of distressed exiles in the island of Jersey, are on the point of wanting bread.

dren of our own brave seamen and soldiers. Let it not be said, that the present is an interfering claim. Those to whom I write, have bread enough, and to spare. You, who fare sumptuously every day, and yet complain that you have little to bestow, let not this bounty be subtracted from another bounty, but subtract it rather from some superfluous expense.

The beneficent and right-minded want no arguments to be pressed upon them; but it is not those alone whom I address; I write to persons of every description. Luxurious sub-habits of living, which really furnish the distressed with the fairest grounds for application, are too often urged by those who practise them as a motive for withholding assistance, and produced as a plea for having little to spare. Let her who indulges such habits, and pleads such excuses in consequence, reflect, that_by_retrenching one costly dish from her abundant table, by cutting off the superfluities of one expensive desert, omitting one evening's public amuse

Very many to whom this address is made have already contributed. O let them not be weary in well-doing! I know that many are making generous exertions for the just and natural claims of the widows and chil

NOTE. The profits of this publication, which were considerable, were given to the French emigrant clergy